SCRIPT Corey Ruderman, George Russell and James Hong Myers World Studies 4 13 December 2011 Rama and the Ramayana: Lesson in Dharma
Narrator: In the land of Aydohya lived King Dasharatha, his three wives and four sons. His wife Kaushalya is his eldest son, Rama, mother. His second and favorite wife, Queen Kaikeyi has a son named Bharata. His other two sons are twins Lakshman and Shatrughna. (Enter sage Rama) Narrator: The sage has taken Rama and Lakshman to train in archery. Rama hits an apple hanging from a string. Rama: I have hit the apple now we must leave so we may attend Sita’s swayamvara. (Enter man who fails to string bow) Narrator: Lakshman and Rama travel to the neighboring city. The ruler’s daughter, Sita, holds a ceremony where her groom was to be chosen. This is called a swayamvara. Sita asks princes to string a giant bow. No one can even lift the bow. Rama breaks the bow in two. (Enter Rama who breaks bow in two) Sita: I choose you to be my husband. I will now put this garland around your neck. (Other men are disappointed, show shot of disappointed men) Scene 1 (King Dasharatha is seen thinking about who will be his future king) (Rama walks in, bows) King: Please, sit down Rama: Yes father? King: Rama, you shall be crowned king of Aydohya. This is your dharma and you must fulfill it. Rama: I thank you father (King bows and leaves) (NEXT SCENE) Kaikeyi: Dashartha, you promised me many years ago that my son Bharata will be king. I want Rama banished for 14 years and I want you to crown my son. (King kneeling) King: please do not demand such things! Kaikeyi: I must, made an oath. King: Fine my wife; I cannot face my son so you must tell him. Kaikeyi: I shall tell Rama. (Next scene Kaikeyi goes up to Rama) Kaikeyi: Rama my son shall be king, your father made an oath to me years ago. You shall be banished for 14 years Rama: I shall follow my father’s orders and go to the forest (Rama exits scene puts down crown and leaves for forest) (Next scene Rama enters forest with Sita) Sita: Rama I belong at your side, thank you for letting me come along. Rama: I thank you my wife and you Lakshman for coming with me for these 14 years. (End scene as Lakshman, Rama and Sita enter forest) (Next scene Bharata overhears his mom and Dasharatha talking) Kaikeyi: My husband I have told Rama that my son must be the king. I banished him to the forest King: Ok, it had to be done (Bharata over hears this and runs to the forest to find Rama) (Next Scene bharata finds Rama in the forest) Bharata: Rama, you must return to the throne, I will not break the rules of dharma, which is your individual duty Rama: We must obey father, I cannot return. Bharata: Please let me take your sandals. (Takes sandals) I will put these on the throne and every day I shall place the fruits of my work at the feet on my lord. (Bharata bows then leaves with sandals) (Next scene you see Bharata putting sandals on the throne) (Next Scene Rama, Sita and Lakshman are in the forest) Narrator: One day Rama and Lakshman see rakshasas. These evil creatures disturb sages in their meditations. Rama and Lakshman decide to battle them. (Fighting scene where Rama and Lakshman destroy rakshasas) (Next scene a rakshasas princess tries to seduce Rama) Narrator: A rakshasas princess is seen trying to seduce Rama Rakshasas Princess: Hey there Rama (Sits there trying to touch him but Rama tries to shoo her away) (Lakshaman appears and pushes the princess over) Lakshaman: Get out of here! (Princess runs away) (Next scene Princess returns to brother, Ravana, who is the ten-headed ruler of Lanka.) Rakshasas Princess: My almighty brother, ruler of Lanka, there is a beautiful woman whose name is Sita. She lives in the forest and you will fall madly in love with her. Ravana: We must abduct her. We shall send a magical golden deer; I will change my shape as a holy man begging alms. Sita will give me alms and I shall grab her and carry her back to my kingdom. (Both leave scene and enter forest) (Rama and Lakshaman go on a hunt) Rama: Sita we are going to hunt the golden deer of which you desire. Do not step out of this protective circle and you shall be safe until we return. Sita: I will see you men when you return, I shall not step out of this circle (Exit Rama and Lakshaman and enter Ravana appearing as the holy man) Ravana: Please give me alms and I shall be very grateful Sita: I shall not deny you alms. Here you go (Steps out of circle and Ravana grabs her. He starts walking out of view) Sita: Where are you taking me! (End scene) (New scene Rama returns and finds no Sita) Rama: Where is my lovely wife? She must have disobeyed my orders and stepped out of the protective circle I drew around her. (As Rama looks around for clues band of monkeys arrive) Band of monkeys: We are here to help you find Sita. Rama: Ok we shall go look for her. (End scene) (New scene Ravana carries Sita to Palace but cannot force her to be his wife) Ravana: Marry me woman! Sita: No I am married to my true love Rama (Ravana places her in a grove or group of trees and sweet talks her and threatens her to marry him) Ravana: Please beautiful Sita marry me. If you do not, I will kill you and your husband. (Show Sita thinking about Rama. Sita’s thoughts as a picture or video of Rama) (End scene enter monkey Hanuman the general of the monkey band) Hanuman: Please wind, my father, help me fly to Lanka to help Rama find Sita. (Hanuman jumps and flies to Lanka) (End Scene) (Show scene of Sita in grove and Hanuman finding her) Hanuman: I am Hanuman, I was sent by Rama to find you. Rama will be here soon to save you. Sita: Thank you for your help, I cannot wait to see my husband Rama. (End Scene) (New Scene you see Ravana’s men capture Hanuman.) Ravana: I order you to wrap his tail with cloth and set it on fire. (Ravana’s men wrap Hanumans tail in cloth and set it on fire.) (Hanuman hops from house to house setting Lanka on fire) (He then flies back to Rama and tells him where Sita is) Hanuman: Rama I have news. Sita is in Lanka under the control of Ravana. Rama: We shall go there and free her at once! Narrator: Rama, Lakshman and the monkey army built a causeway or bridge from India to Lanka. (Show building and crossing of causeway) Narrator: As Rama, Lakshman and the monkey army enter Lanka they are met by several of Ravana’s men. A mighty battle ensues (After defeating all his men. Rama fights Ravana) (Tiring battle but Rama is about to win) Rama: You will never experience moksha! Narrator: Moksha is the freedom from the endless cycle of reincarnation into a state of bliss. (Rama stabs Ravana as narrator speaks) (Show Rama running to Sita in slow motion going for hug) (End Scene) (New scene) Narrator: Sita and Rama return to Aydohya and Rama becomes king. Ghandi dreamed that one day India would become a Ram-rajya. This was what Rama’s rule was called. Ram-rajya is a time when everyone does their dharma and their fathers never have to light the funeral pyres for their sons.
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SCRIPT
Corey Ruderman, George Russell and James Hong
Myers
World Studies 4
13 December 2011
Rama and the Ramayana: Lesson in Dharma
Narrator: In the land of Aydohya lived King Dasharatha, his three wives and four sons. His wife Kaushalya is his eldest son, Rama, mother. His second and favorite wife, Queen Kaikeyi has a son named Bharata. His other two sons are twins Lakshman and Shatrughna.
(Enter sage Rama)
Narrator: The sage has taken Rama and Lakshman to train in archery. Rama hits an apple hanging from a string.
Rama: I have hit the apple now we must leave so we may attend Sita’s swayamvara.
(Enter man who fails to string bow)
Narrator: Lakshman and Rama travel to the neighboring city. The ruler’s daughter, Sita, holds a ceremony where her groom was to be chosen. This is called a swayamvara. Sita asks princes to string a giant bow. No one can even lift the bow. Rama breaks the bow in two.
(Enter Rama who breaks bow in two)
Sita: I choose you to be my husband. I will now put this garland around your neck.
(Other men are disappointed, show shot of disappointed men)
Scene 1
(King Dasharatha is seen thinking about who will be his future king)
(Rama walks in, bows)
King: Please, sit down
Rama: Yes father?
King: Rama, you shall be crowned king of Aydohya. This is your dharma and you must fulfill it.
Rama: I thank you father
(King bows and leaves)
(NEXT SCENE)
Kaikeyi: Dashartha, you promised me many years ago that my son Bharata will be king. I want Rama banished for 14 years and I want you to crown my son.
(King kneeling)
King: please do not demand such things!
Kaikeyi: I must, made an oath.
King: Fine my wife; I cannot face my son so you must tell him.
Kaikeyi: I shall tell Rama.
(Next scene Kaikeyi goes up to Rama)
Kaikeyi: Rama my son shall be king, your father made an oath to me years ago. You shall be banished for 14 years
Rama: I shall follow my father’s orders and go to the forest
(Rama exits scene puts down crown and leaves for forest)
(Next scene Rama enters forest with Sita)
Sita: Rama I belong at your side, thank you for letting me come along.
Rama: I thank you my wife and you Lakshman for coming with me for these 14 years.
(End scene as Lakshman, Rama and Sita enter forest)
(Next scene Bharata overhears his mom and Dasharatha talking)
Kaikeyi: My husband I have told Rama that my son must be the king. I banished him to the forest
King: Ok, it had to be done
(Bharata over hears this and runs to the forest to find Rama)
(Next Scene bharata finds Rama in the forest)
Bharata: Rama, you must return to the throne, I will not break the rules of dharma, which is your individual duty
Rama: We must obey father, I cannot return.
Bharata: Please let me take your sandals. (Takes sandals) I will put these on the throne and every day I shall place the fruits of my work at the feet on my lord.
(Bharata bows then leaves with sandals)
(Next scene you see Bharata putting sandals on the throne)
(Next Scene Rama, Sita and Lakshman are in the forest)
Narrator: One day Rama and Lakshman see rakshasas. These evil creatures disturb sages in their meditations. Rama and Lakshman decide to battle them.
(Fighting scene where Rama and Lakshman destroy rakshasas)
(Next scene a rakshasas princess tries to seduce Rama)
Narrator: A rakshasas princess is seen trying to seduce Rama
Rakshasas Princess: Hey there Rama
(Sits there trying to touch him but Rama tries to shoo her away)
(Lakshaman appears and pushes the princess over)
Lakshaman: Get out of here!
(Princess runs away)
(Next scene Princess returns to brother, Ravana, who is the ten-headed ruler of Lanka.)
Rakshasas Princess: My almighty brother, ruler of Lanka, there is a beautiful woman whose name is Sita. She lives in the forest and you will fall madly in love with her.
Ravana: We must abduct her. We shall send a magical golden deer; I will change my shape as a holy man begging alms. Sita will give me alms and I shall grab her and carry her back to my kingdom.
(Both leave scene and enter forest)
(Rama and Lakshaman go on a hunt)
Rama: Sita we are going to hunt the golden deer of which you desire. Do not step out of this protective circle and you shall be safe until we return.
Sita: I will see you men when you return, I shall not step out of this circle
(Exit Rama and Lakshaman and enter Ravana appearing as the holy man)
Ravana: Please give me alms and I shall be very grateful
Sita: I shall not deny you alms. Here you go
(Steps out of circle and Ravana grabs her. He starts walking out of view)
Sita: Where are you taking me!
(End scene)
(New scene Rama returns and finds no Sita)
Rama: Where is my lovely wife? She must have disobeyed my orders and stepped out of the protective circle I drew around her.
(As Rama looks around for clues band of monkeys arrive)
Band of monkeys: We are here to help you find Sita.
Rama: Ok we shall go look for her.
(End scene)
(New scene Ravana carries Sita to Palace but cannot force her to be his wife)
Ravana: Marry me woman!
Sita: No I am married to my true love Rama
(Ravana places her in a grove or group of trees and sweet talks her and threatens her to marry him)
Ravana: Please beautiful Sita marry me. If you do not, I will kill you and your husband.
(Show Sita thinking about Rama. Sita’s thoughts as a picture or video of Rama)
(End scene enter monkey Hanuman the general of the monkey band)
Hanuman: Please wind, my father, help me fly to Lanka to help Rama find Sita.
(Hanuman jumps and flies to Lanka)
(End Scene)
(Show scene of Sita in grove and Hanuman finding her)
Hanuman: I am Hanuman, I was sent by Rama to find you. Rama will be here soon to save you.
Sita: Thank you for your help, I cannot wait to see my husband Rama.
(End Scene)
(New Scene you see Ravana’s men capture Hanuman.)
Ravana: I order you to wrap his tail with cloth and set it on fire.
(Ravana’s men wrap Hanumans tail in cloth and set it on fire.)
(Hanuman hops from house to house setting Lanka on fire)
(He then flies back to Rama and tells him where Sita is)
Hanuman: Rama I have news. Sita is in Lanka under the control of Ravana.
Rama: We shall go there and free her at once!
Narrator: Rama, Lakshman and the monkey army built a causeway or bridge from India to Lanka.
(Show building and crossing of causeway)
Narrator: As Rama, Lakshman and the monkey army enter Lanka they are met by several of Ravana’s men. A mighty battle ensues
(After defeating all his men. Rama fights Ravana)
(Tiring battle but Rama is about to win)
Rama: You will never experience moksha!
Narrator: Moksha is the freedom from the endless cycle of reincarnation into a state of bliss.
(Rama stabs Ravana as narrator speaks)
(Show Rama running to Sita in slow motion going for hug)
(End Scene)
(New scene)
Narrator: Sita and Rama return to Aydohya and Rama becomes king. Ghandi dreamed that one day India would become a Ram-rajya. This was what Rama’s rule was called. Ram-rajya is a time when everyone does their dharma and their fathers never have to light the funeral pyres for their sons.